OVER
HER DEAD BODY
By
Jacqueline Monahan
Jacqueline
Monahan is an English tutor for the GEAR UP program at
UNLV. She is also a consultant for Columbia College
Chicago in Adjunct Faculty Affairs.
jaxn8r@msn.com
Who doesn’t love a good revenge story? Don’t we all secretly wish for the
power to make a rival suffer or at least be embarrassed enough to concede
defeat? Such is the case with bridezilla Kate (Eva Longoria Parker) killed
in a freak ice angel accident on her wedding day, pissing off the “white
lady” (Kali Rocha) in heaven who has important instructions for her, and
returning to earth clueless about her mission. She mistakenly believes it to
be rescuing her fiancé from his new love interest, an improbable psychic
with a catering business on the side.
Ashley (Lake Bell) is
said psychic/caterer with a gay assistant, Dan (Jason Biggs) and nerdy
mannerisms that are supposed to endear us to her despite endless cleavage
and leg exposure (unnecessary) to pound us about the head that she is
attractive which it seems in Hollywood, is a virtue. Ashley must be tall
with large breasts and a smile you could broadcast drive-in movies on. There
must be opportunities for her to be endearingly nerdy so that the viewer can
get a semi-accidental crotch shot out of the deal. Hey, she’s clumsy, okay?
Kate’s fiancé Henry (Paul Rudd) is a veterinarian with an overly protective
sister, Chloe (Lindsay Sloane) who, after a year has passed, wants him to
move on in life Kate, and score another love interest. She concocts a
deceitful way for Ashley to convince Henry that Kate has communicated
exactly that through the medium. Ashley embellishes the message, declaring
herself to be Henry’s new love, to the chagrin of Chloe and the wrath of
mischievous Kate.
A vengeful Kate haunts
Ashley, not secretly, but right out in the open to discourage her from
seeing Henry. Ashley takes up the challenge and the rivalry is on, with Kate
having the unfair advantage of possessing supernatural powers. Like the
Brandy/Monique song a few years back titled, “The Boy Is Mine,” Henry
becomes the rope in this tug of war between the living and the dead.
Some of Kate’s antics don’t make sense, and she could be a lot more devious
and imaginative in her stunts. But we’re not supposed to hate her, just wish
for her to finally “get it.” We sure get it, after having heavily formulaic
plot pounded into our brains at every turn.
Paul eventually finds
out about his sister Chloe’s ruse and is disappointed with Ashley’s
involvement. Misunderstanding in place, according to time-tested formula,
Henry and Ashley can now be officially miserable without each other.
The classic (and ancient) formula of boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy
realizes girl is right for him is alive and well in this plot line despite a
few dead characters. Do I really have to tell you the outcome?
Eva Longoria Parker is possessively impish as the ice angel casualty. Paul
Rudd could use a hair stylist and it appears he has taken notes from his
previous role in Clueless; here, he really is, irritatingly so.
Lake Bell is charming
and wide-eyed, with great comedic timing. Hopefully, more meaty roles will
come her way so that she doesn’t have to rely on her body as much as her
intellect, which is just fine. She is the best and the worst of the film,
charm and quirky line delivery winning over forced bimbo antics when all is
said and done.
Poor Jason Biggs has the kind of unbelievable role that comes with the need
for a plot contrivance. My problem with this is that it will make some
people think his behavior/sentiments/sacrifices are realistic and routine –
a great disservice to men and women alike.
Writer/Director Jeff
Lowell, in his directorial debut, has attempted to create a slapstick,
modern day fairy tale, thrown in some vulgarity and sexual cheap shots, a
lot of “gee whiz” and even more wisecracks. Only Longoria Parker, as the
deceased but determined near-bride behaves the most believably, mischievous
until the end, never really accepting her situation. I identified with her
mean streak during this romp through the land of the (brain) dead.
This is a movie some segments of the audience would call “cute.” There’s a
place for it, I suppose. I only know that when people use that particular
adjective about my writing, I start imagining sharp, cartoon machetes and
long, terrifying chase scenes with me as the aggressor.
Still, it tries to make
you laugh. Sometimes Bell succeeds, and that’s good for something. For some,
it may even be good enough.
As for me…someone asked me to see the film a second time. “Over my dead….” I
replied. You get the picture, formula and all.
